


Stuffed Artichoke

by an_evasive_author



Series: Golden Milk [2]
Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Brothers, Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Father Figures, Foster Care, Gen, Light Angst, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:09:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28412181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/an_evasive_author/pseuds/an_evasive_author
Summary: From time to time supplies run low in their little household and new things need to be acquired. Maedhros always remains behind and so one of the twins also stays behind, whether they want to or not.This time it is Elros' turn and with no playmate to entertain himself with, he has a long and boring day to look forward to.
Series: Golden Milk [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2082150
Comments: 1
Kudos: 28





	Stuffed Artichoke

It would begin with Maedhros rumbling about as he rifled through the drawers and the cabinets. There would be a sharp grunt and he would turn to Maglor. “Supplies are running low.”

“Already?” Maglor asked and made to rise to check for himself. As if Maedhros could have simply missed a full pantry. Then he clicked his tongue, bit the inside of his cheek and nodded. “It is time to go shopping, I believe.”

They had no fields to till and toil over, no farm, no rows of produce safe their little vegetable garden that supplemented their meals whenever possible. But flour, salt, a dozen different little things that could not be made by them needed to be bought.

And so Maglor would get a crumpled sheet of paper out, on it a dozen different things already scratched out from the previous list, and begin a new one with Maedhros calling out all the empty spaces where things were supposed to be.

“Flour,” Maedhros said, because there was no way any of them would grind grain themselves if there was so much else to do. More one-handed rifling, “Good on salt. But we need Peppercorns. See if you get corn and dried peas for cheap.”

“I will,” Maglor said and continued scribbling, “Elrond, go look if we have enough soap left. Elros, check the garden, count what grows.”

And so it would go, until Maglor was finally fretting over the list and got out the little chest with the money to count it.

There was very little to do to help them, safe not getting underfoot. And another thing that needed to be taken care off. Another sheet was pulled out, filled out, and Maglor would count the marks on it. At the end of that, he told the twins a number and divvied it by two. Except market day, precious little times did the opportunity present itself to use their allowance for anything. But now that day had come and if it was withing reason and their budget, it would be theirs.

“Which one to take with me..." Maglor mumbled and turned to them, where they sat on the couch, reading and desperately pretending they had not listened intently while Maglor counted out their allowance. "Last time it was Elros, I remember,” Maglor said thoughtfully even as he re-read his list. “Elrond,” Maglor glanced over his shoulder, “We will go out tomorrow, for supplies.”

“Fine,” Elrond said and rose from his seat, book carefully closed and a piece of flat birch bark slipped between the pages.

“That means an early bedtime, we will be on the road for a while and not back before midnight. Take a bath before bed.” And pointedly towards Elros when he made no move to follow his twin, “You as well, Elros.”

“That's not fair!” Because Elros would not get any of the benefits of going to the market and would only get to look forward to a day filled with chores and homework.

Maglor pointed at the door, “I do not care, bath, bed. Don't make me get Maedhros.”

Maedhros did not help bathing as much as he simply went and _dunked_. The thought alone was enough to send Elros flying down the hall to fetch water while Elrond made a fire.

* * *

“Take my allowance with you and buy me something,” Elros told his drowsy brother when they were in bed, hair still slightly damp but brushed and clean.

“Like what?” Elrond asked and yawned. “Write it down for me, I don't think I will remember otherwise.”

“I can well guess what it will be,” Maglor said when he strode into the room to wish them good night. “You will not use it all on sweets.”

“What else then?” Elros asked, incredulous, “I'm too old for toys.”

“Are you now?” Maglor asked as he tucked Elrond in and leaned down to bring their foreheads together briefly, gently. “Sleep well, Elrond.”

“You too,” Elrond said sleepily and yawned again.

“Well,” Elros said when Maglor turned his attention to him, “You won't let me buy a sword...”

“Your allowance would never suffice for that. You would need to save, Elros. And I know for a fact that you cannot resist the temptation of sweets.” Maglor had the gall to smirk at that.

“ _Bleh_ ,” Elros said and stretched out his tongue.

Maglor chuckled and then it was Elros' turn to rear up a little so they could touch foreheads.

Their lullaby passed and with it Maglor blew out the candle on the old nightstand with the piece of wood under one leg the twins shared.

Elros turned over and with his last coherent thoughts for the night idled that Maglor had not told him outright no for a sword like he always had.

* * *

Breakfast was simple enough, even if their supplies had shrunk quite considerably. The chickens still laid eggs, after all and there was some bread left.

Maglor was already busy packing Elrond's and his own little bundle for lunch and then went out to hitch their ox to the cart. “Elrond, hurry up with your breakfast,” he called when he came flying back inside to fetch his lyre and things they had gathered to sell. If those did not fetch enough coin, Maglor's music usually did the trick. “In fact, go wash up and change, we will eat on the road; Daylight is burning, hurry.”

Maedhros stumbled into the kitchen bleary-eyed just before they were ready to head out.

Elros stood at the door, seeing them off dutifully.

“Lunch is whatever is ripe in the garden,” Maglor told him, “There is still a bit of cheese left as well. Maybe some bread for dinner. Don't eat it all at once, you hear? We won't be back for a while. Remember your homework I assigned, I will quiz you later. Mind your chores, don't wander off to far from the house.”

Elros promised him, nodded to everything and sighed at last, “I know, Maglor.”

“Fine fine,” Maglor said, smiled, rose to bid his brother goodbye.

“Remember what we talked about,” Maedhros said gruffly and reached out an arm to squeeze Maglor's shoulder briefly.

“I know, how could I forget with you reminding me a hundred times? Take care, Maedhros. Don't burn the house down whilst I'm gone.”

Maedhros snorted and waited at the gate until the both of them had vanished out of sight. Then he turned and yawned before stumbling back into the house to have tea.

Elros thought of his chores, his homework and the fact that he would die of boredom before noon. “Can I go out to the stream?” he asked when Maedhros had stomped past him.

“Don't you have chores?”

“I'll do them later.”

“If you fall in, I won't fish you out,” Maedhros said and fell into his chair with a huff.

Elros pulled a fried egg on a slice of bread and balanced it as he wandered out. “I'll be careful.”

* * *

As far as ways to distract himself went, Elros found his options sparse, especially with Elrond gone. With Elrond he could at least play, have someone to nudge their scratched chess pieces around or play tag.

But alone...

There were no other children to play with, those where at the marketplace in the little village Maglor had taken Elrond to. Men-children, not elven and certainly never half-elves like themselves.

Elros could not remember when he had even seen an elf-child last. Years ago and that one had been too small to be of any use when it came to playing. The memory was fuzzy and indistinct.

Balancing over a mossy, worm-gnawed tree that had fallen over the little river, Elros gulped his egg down in four bites before nibbling at the bread left behind. Logic dictated that he should save up his egg and eat the thing that tasted not quite as good first. But he could hardly wander around with a fried egg in his hand, could he?

There were books in their bookshelves, read a hundred times, and there was his homework still. And chores. But those were just as bad as being bored, frankly.

Sometimes they fished in the stream, though there was not much to catch in these parts, the waters were too shallow. If one wanted fish, they had to go further up where it forked.

He was too lazy to get his jump rope and he had no sword to swing around...

A stick, almost straight, would suffice to pretend. 

* * *

Lunch would not go amiss, Elros decided when he returned and wandered through the rooms towards the kitchen. He was beginning to feel peckish.

At the table, Maedhros sat slumped, sleeping. His hair was braided, he had done so himself and never allowed anyone to help him with that.

Elros was not allowed to make a fire without Maedhros and the pan hung on a hook on the wall, too high up. Scooting a chair over would make noise and fumbling with the cast iron monstrosity was strictly forbidden if no permission had been gotten first and Elros doubted that Maedhros would give him a pass on a technicality.

So he padded over to Maedhros' side and shook him lightly. “Maedhros, what's for lunch?” Elros asked and prodded at him again when no answer seemed forthcoming.

“ _Mm_ ,” Maedhros groaned stiffly, in the way of those mostly asleep and fully dreaming, a hand reached out, lightly batted at the air where a taller elf might have been reached. “ _Away with you, Fingon_ ," he breathed softly, sounding almost wry, " _Go pester the cooks._ ” With that, he turned his head further into the crook of his arm where he continued to snore.

Elros retreated with quiet, guilty steps. The words had not been his to hear and he felt like an intruder for having spied upon the tenderness in them.

He could read a book, he decided. Yes, a book sounded like a good idea. Grabbing the first he could get a grip on, he walked outside, all hunger forgotten.

* * *

“Ai, Maedhros grumbled and brought his hands to either side of his spine, just about resting on the small of his back to bend backwards. The position he had napped in had proven uncomfortable and Elros could hear him cracking every vertebrae in sharp, quick succession. “This Mandos fled chair--”

He turned, saw Elros sitting under his tree, wiggling his ears and snorted. “Don't tell Maglor,” he said.

“Don't tell him what?” Elros asked and Maedhros nodded. Elros closed his book he had not read and his assignment which he had not bothered with, “I'm hungry. Can we eat lunch?”

Maedhros turned, looked at the sun and did not even squint. Elros had never understood how he and Maglor could do so without tearing up and seeing its bright light burned at the back of his eyes, for they never complained. But they did scold Elrond and him when they stared up at the sun directly and what was that if not utter unfairness? “So late already. Fine. Help me with the firewood and we will see what vegetables we can scrounge up.”

“Potatoes?” Elros asked hopefully because potatoes were the very best. “With cheese.”

“No,” Maedhros said. “Something green. Artichokes should be in season.”

Horror upon horrors! “ _Ew_! Maedhros, no!”

Begging never worked in this household. But it never hurt to try.

Maedhros sighed and sounded endlessly tired. “Cheese cannot hurt, I suppose.”

Suddenly given his will like that, half of it at least, Elros' posturing came up short. Even more so when he heard the soft, vulnerable tone lurking just behind Maedhros' many sharp and prickly edges.

* * *

Four plates were filled with cheese stuffed artichoke and spinach. Two were put away to keep warm and the other two served.

Maedhros was no great conversationalist and even less so during meals, not that that greatly bothered Elros. When one was both not allowed to talk with their mouth full and kept shovelling food in, there was not much space for conversation anyway.

Elros did the dishes, one of his chores and sighed before he got his homework out. There was only so long he could delay it before Maedhros would begin to admonish and at last command and Elros had no desire to push him.

Ink had also been written on the list. In a pinch, coal widdled into handy sticks would suffice but both Maedhros and Maglor were particular about writing properly with ink.

“Let me look over it when you are done,” Maedhros said and put away the dishes, one at a time.

* * *

It was evening when Elros began to groan and sigh about, head resting on the windowsill. Darkness outside and firelight inside made it hard to see anything that was going on out there but there was no need to be watchful because they would hear if Maglor and Elrond arrived.

“Stop sighing,” Maedhros snapped, finally fed up.

“I'm bored,” Elros sighed instead.

“I can give you another assignment,” Maedhros told him.

“You are so mean, I bet Elrond did not have to read anything or conjugate verbs,” Elros whined.

That had been too far. Elros did not need to turn to know that Maedhros bristled at that. “Elrond helped getting you your next lunch,” Maedhros informed him and that was enough to send Elros' ears pressed against his hair.

* * *

The soft creaking of wheels and the soft glow of the flameless lantern came into view when the moon stood high up.

Maedhros rose and Elros bounded to the door, pulled it open and flew outside to fall over Elrond and hug him until his twin squealed while Maedhros lighted the lanterns at the front door.

"Still up?" Maglor asked amused and ran a hand through Elros' hair, "Of course you would be."

"I found everything we need," Maglor said, his face glowed in the silvery light and he smiled wide enough to rival it. No doubt he had gotten to play before an audience. "And I got a good deal on clothes for them as well." That was another good thing about the twins, if it fit one of them, so it would the other.

Maedhros nudged him in greeting but remained silent.

Supplies where unloaded, packed and stashed away. Maglor handed Maedhros a bundle of cloth, whatever had been wrapped in it Elros could not see, and Maedhros squirrelled it away before Elros could hope to peek.

At last the ox was unhitched and led back into his little stable where Elrond gave him hay and water and a carrot broken into two pieces.

And then at last they gathered in the living room, splayed and sprawled and sitting and the fairing was passed out.

For Elros, a bag of little pieces of sticky caramel was handed to him and Elros busied himself with gluing his teeth together.

“You will get a stomach ache, don't even think I will pity you,” Maedhros said and ripped the half-empty bag out of Elros' hands to stash the remains on the highest shelf.

“Aw...” Elros tried to protest but his jaw was stuck together and whatever incomprehensible garble came spilling out was swiftly ignored.

“No one will take it from you,” Maglor said where he lay splayed onto the couch.

“Maedhros just did,” Elros tried when he had managed to pry his mouth open again and he licked the remains of caramel from between his teeth but could not truly find the will to act petulant.

“You know exactly what I mean.” Maglor grunted, and gathered himself to sit up. “Bedtime soon, you will need to get up early tomorrow.”

Elros groaned loudly, “Why this time?!”

“Elros, sneck up!” Maedhros snapped. He sat down, until he could rest his elbows on his knees to lean forwards. “Instead come here a moment. You too, Elrond.”

Elros huffed, hurt, but did as he was bidden.

“Maglor and I have been thinking,” Maedhros said and sounded solemn. “If we could have, if there was any way, we would keep you away from business such as this.” He felt his way under the bundle on the table, “We cannot. This world is hard and cruel and does not care.”

Maglor raggedly sighed next to them, rubbed his temple and then his eyes.

Maedhros continued and Elros felt...anticipation. Could it be?

“And so the only way for you is to be prepared for it,” Maedhros said and pulled a sword out from under the fabric. He held it out to Elros, fingers around the scabbard, so Elros could grip it by the handle. “Take it,” he said but there was no impatience in his tone. Only the hopeless inevitability of need.

“No,” Maedhros said when Elros had his hand wrapped around the handle and made to put his other hand on the sheath. “Pull it.”

Elros did and the sound of metal sliding against leather and wood sounded through the room. It was everything Elros had wanted and wished for. Heavier than he had thought, unadorned where Maedhros and Maglor had carefully inlaid swirls and the remnants of stars someone had scratched out or at least tried their best to.

“Elrond, your turn.” There was one for him as well. Elros was too occupied with staring, wondering, drooling over his own to look but faintly he heard his brother whimper.

“I don't want it...”

Maedhros sighed softly, tenderness that send chills down Elros' spine in his tone. Maedhros leaned forward until he and Elrond looked at one another, eye to eye. “I don't care,” Maedhros said gently, not a hint of mocking within it. "We cannot afford to."

Elrond gave a strange, choking hiccup and pulled his sword out in a single, fluid motion. There was no hesitation.

“To bed,” Maglor said finally when the mood allowed for it again and this time there was no complaining. “Tomorrow begins your first lesson and just so you know,” he continued sternly, “This won't mean your other schooling will be neglected.”

Elros nodded eagerly and was off to bed. After a moment, Elrond followed him, leaving his sword on the table and not once did he glance back.

* * *

“You will _not_ take that to bed with you,” Maglor told Elros when he came to tuck them in. He pulled the sword away and set it down at the foot of the bed, the leather strip hung from the bedpost so it would not fall over in the night and clatter. “There.” With Elros grinning ear to ear, Maglor sighed, “Try to get some sleep, Elros.”

“I will,” Elros nodded eagerly and stared at the ceiling. “I can't wait.”

Maglor chuckled softly and Elros could see the faint lines worry and fret had carved finely into his face. “I am sure you will think twice about that when Maedhros is finished with you tomorrow.”

“No way!” Elros laughed and wiggled further under the covers until comfortable. Maglor rolled his eyes and chuckled before they brought their foreheads gently together.

“Learn well, Elros,” Maglor said and pulled away, “Hope that you will never need it.”

But Elros did not listen and instead imagined himself in shining armour, a sword like the sun in his hand. All of it sheathed in glory and majesty, a great and bold hero.

Maglor went to comfort Elrond and by the time he left, Elros was happily asleep.


End file.
